How often do you negotiate in your personal life? Think of household chores, buying a car, or even selecting a restaurant with friends. Now how often do you negotiate professionally? Do you negotiate salary or benefits when given a job offer? Have you requested a title change or pay increase to match your ever-growing list of responsibilities? Did you express interest in leading a project that could impact your next career move?
If negotiating comes second-nature to you or you struggle with trying not to offend others, it is necessary to advocate for yourself and effectively communicate your worth to ensure your happiness. Professional speaker, STEM Career Coach, and author Alaina G. Levine believes you can craft an authentic career that brings you joy, meaning, and money through a data-driven approach.
She led the “Salaries, Negotiating, and Knowing Your Worth” webinar and offered insights into how to establish your worth, navigating money in career advancement, and negotiating salaries and other benefits.
Levine has 10 Unicorn Finance Tenets that can help us navigate our choices and essentially build Your Unicorn Career™.
- Money is important.
- We have to talk about money.
- This is business.
- We decide what we are worth.
- Money gives us power, space, and time.
- We can negotiate.
- We always sell ourselves.
- Our choice is the right choice.
- Understand your relationship with money.
- Use money as a tool (not vice versa).
If any of those statements make you feel uncomfortable, that’s a good sign! Growth and change does not come from comfort. Once you’ve established your worth, you can make the appropriate choices to earn the money that reflects that.
How do I determine my worth?
Market research, networking, professional reviews, and how you feel about yourself can help you create the magic number that leads you to the life you desire. Keep in mind that you may have two numbers, a need and a want. One is nice to have and the other is necessary for you to live.
Researching industry trend reports, salary tools, and job boards can give you a better outlook on what your skills and certifications are worth in the current job market. Informational interviews through networking with professionals in your field can help you gain insights into typical salary ranges and benefits. Understanding how your supervisors and co-workers perceive you and your work ethic can help to dispel the imposter syndrome and boost how you feel about yourself.
You received an offer, you’ve evaluated your options, and now it’s time to negotiate.
When you’re ready enter the negotiation process, Levine has an eight-step process that guide you through your communication.
Step 1: Express appreciation. Ex: “Thank you so much.”
Step 2: Don’t act right away — ask for time to consider.
Step 3: Think, evaluate your offer. Compare it to your needs and your wants.
Step 4: Consider a counter offer that you want/need.
Step 5: Consider tactics and vocabulary. If you received more, what are you promising in return? Think back to your skills and your proven successes.
Step 6: Take the temperature. Ensure that they have not gone cold on you.
Step 7: If they can’t do more, what else can they offer that are non-monetary? Can you get more PTO, more equity, relocation costs, or commuter benefits?
Step 8: Make a decision for yourself. Does it fit your needs and/or wants?
She offers more in-depth tips and tricks to help women and non-binary individuals negotiate to making the money they deserve. Be empowered to advocate for yourself and don’t lean on fear or desperation. You are often not negotiating for current you, but for future you who does not worry and has a great relationship with money.
AWIS members can watch the webinar recording and get access to Alaina G. Levine’s money resource list, negotiation worksheets. Schedule a FREE career and negotiation consultation with Alaina today!
Jade Forde is a Marketing Specialist at AWIS. She graduated from George Mason University with a bachelor’s in communication and master’s degree in digital strategy from the University of Florida. She has almost 10 years of experience in social media, content creation, website maintenance, online communities, graphic design, newsletters, and email marketing.
This article was originally published in AWIS Magazine. Join AWIS to access the full issue of AWIS Magazine and more member benefits.